There's Something About A War
by iluvmyspurs
Summary: Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy have hated each other for six years. But what happens when their anger boils over during Charms class and something VERY unexpected happens? There's just something about a war. . .
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I don't own anything! It all belongs to J.K. Rowling! **

**This is my first fanfic story, so please review!!**

Hermione Granger was in shock.

Draco Malfoy. She had kissed Draco Malfoy. Actually, he had kissed her. In front of everybody in Charms class.

The two had had an ongoing feud as of late. They had been throwing insults and nasty glares back and forth for weeks. After hating each other for the past six years, their anger had reached a boiling point. Hermione had known for a long time that it would happen eventually. She just didn't think it would happen like _that_.

They were in Charms class when a shouting match erupted between them. Harry and Ron had to restrain her from lunging at him, while Malfoy was held back by Crabbe and Goyle. Professor Flitwick quickly got into the middle of things by dragging Hermione and Draco to the front of the classroom. " There are more constructive ways to solve this!" he squeaked. The professor had them stand face to face in front of the class. He then told them to explain to each other why they had so much hatred towards one another. All the other students stopped what they were doing to watch.

Malfoy went first.

" I hate you because you're a filthy mudblood know-it-all who never shuts up."

Tension instantly filled the room. Nobody moved. All eyes were on them.

Hermione glared at him.

" I hate you because you're a vile and disgusting excuse for a human being."

Malfoy stepped closer to her.

" Is that so?" His voice was low and dangerously calm.

Hermione moved closer still, leaving them only inches apart.

"Yes." She said with as much disdain as she could muster.

They stared each other down for a mere second and then suddenly locked lips. The entire class stared in shock. The room was dead silent. His mouth was hot on hers, their tongues intertwining. Hermione wasn't sure whether she had made the move or if it was Malfoy who had done it. Her mind was frozen and all she could focus on was the furious make out session they were involved in. Her arms were positioned around his neck and his hands were locked on her lower back. All the fury, frustration and emotion they felt was channeled into the kiss. Nobody moved; even Professor Flitwick was too shocked to do anything. It occurred to Hermione that she actually liked kissing Malfoy. He was extremely skilled at it. For a moment, she forgot where she was and what she was doing. And then she came to her senses. _Omigod, I'm snogging with Malfoy. In front of the entire class. Oh God. _

It took all the courage she had, but she finally put her hands on his chest and pushed him away.

They stood there, staring at each other in complete shock, neither one able to move.

The classroom was still silent.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Nobody moved.

_I should do something, _Hermione thought. _I can't just stand here with all of these people staring at me. Suddenly, she became angry. Who in the hell did Draco Malfoy think he was, kissing her like that in front of everyone? _

She reached up and slapped him. Hard. A few people gasped, which was enough to startle Professor Flitwick out of his shocked state. " Right. . .yes, well. . . .class dismissed." He managed to get out. Hermione whirled around and walked briskly over to the table she shared with Harry and Ron. They stood gaping at her, wondering what in the hell had just happened. She grabbed her bag in one swift movement and walked out of the classroom, head held high, leaving them all staring after her.

**So that's all for now. How was it? I would really love to know what you guys thought. I've written more on the story, but I really want to see how everyone likes it before I post more. PLEASE review!!! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed so quickly! You guys are my inspiration! So, here it is. Chapter 2! Enjoy!!**

Chapter 2

Hermione burst through the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, Harry and Ron not far behind her.

" I can't believe I kissed Malfoy!" she cried out in despair.

" You can't believe it? I'm still in shock!" Ron declared.

Harry swatted him on the head. " You're not helping." He then turned to Hermione. " I'm sure this whole thing will blow over by tomorrow. I mean, today is a full moon after all. You know how crazy people can get."

Hermione snorted. " Yes, I'm sure that's the reason behind it. A full moon."

Harry rolled his eyes. " I'm only trying to help here. This whole situation was probably just some freaky accident."

Hermione crossed her legs and stared at the fire for a minute, then turned back to Harry. " Well, if it was an accident, it was one that Malfoy certainly enjoyed."

Ron raised an eyebrow at her. " How do you know?" he asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. " Because, Ronald, I felt his hard-on pressed up against me." Harry's jaw dropped and he stared at Hermione, wide-eyed. Ron, however, had jumped up angrily.

" I'll kill him!" he declared, his hands balled into fists. He started toward the portrait hole, but Hermione pulled him down onto the couch.

" Honestly, Ronald, control yourself. It's not like he can help it." Ron frowned, clearly still very displeased.

" So what are you going to do then?" Harry asked.

Hermione sighed. " I suppose the best thing to do is forget that this ever happened and just move past it."

Ron and Harry nodded in agreement. After a few minutes of discussion, the trio decided to make an appearance at lunch in the Great Hall. It would seem unusual if they weren't there, considering Ron never missed a meal. But Hermione had no intention of going alone. She would need all the moral support she could get.

While walking down the corridors to the Great Hall, Hermione noticed several different people stop to stare at her and then whisper something to another person once she passed.

" Word sure does travel fast." Ron observed.

" You'd think people would have better things to do with their time." Harry added bitterly.

" Let's just sit down. I feel like an absolute freak show." Hermione confided.

The three found a spot on the Gryffindor banquet table and sat down. All around them, people stared and whispered. To make matters worse, Draco Malfoy was over at the Slytherin table, eyeing Hermione every few minutes and laughing with his buddies. Hermione groaned and ran her hands through her hair. How could she have kissed him?? _He was. . . .disgusting. Ewww._

" Could he possibly be any more of a little prick?" she asked.

" I would have to say yes." Ron said.

" I second that." Harry added.

Hermione looked around and became aware of even more stares and whispers. _God, it's getting worse. _" Would you two mind terribly if I left? I thought I could deal with this, but I can't. Not right now. I just need to be alone." Ron nodded knowingly. " We understand. You go. We'll bring you back some dessert."

Hermione stood and walked out of the Great Hall. She had managed to humiliate herself and completely ruin her reputation all in one day. The worst thing about it was that she actually (gulp) enjoyed the kiss. And now she was going back to the Gryffindor common room to hide from the world.

Suddenly, Hermione felt an arm drape itself across her waist while a hand covered her mouth. It didn't take her long to realize she was being kidnapped. She struggled as best she could, but she was no match for the muscular being that had hold of her. Her captor led her into the nearest broom closet. It certainly seemed awfully convenient that there were so many broom closets in the castle. When her kidnapper let go of her, she turned and saw that she was face to face with Draco Malfoy. He took his hands away from her and gave her his classic Malfoy smirk.

Hermione glared at him. " What?" she demanded.

" Damn, Granger. Chill out. I wanted to apologize for today."

"Excuse me?" Was Draco Malfoy actually going to say he was _sorry_?

" That kiss today was completely out of line. I never should've done it in front of everyone like that."

" Well Malfoy, that's most noble of----- "

" I mean, I would've done it a lot sooner if I would've known that you had the hots for me."

"WHAT??!!"

" C'mon, Granger. We did a good bit of snogging up there. I wasn't the only participant."

" No, as I recall your cock was pretty involved too."

Malfoy looked impressed and very amused by her comeback. "Touché."

Hermione rolled her eyes. This was going nowhere. " Look Malfoy, contrary to what you may believe, I do not want to spend the rest of my day locked in this closet with you. So, either make a point, or let me go."

Malfoy shrugged in his smug little way. " Forgive me. I simply thought you'd want to discuss the whole kissing thing considering how much chemistry we seemed to have."

Hermione stepped closer to him. " There was no chemistry in that kiss. It was a spur of the moment, anger fueled connection."

"So you admit there was a connection?"

"NO! Ugh. That little make out session between us had absolutely no meaning. I can't explain why it happened and I sure as hell still can't believe it happened. But it didn't mean anything. Nothing!"

Malfoy smirked at her. " You just keep telling yourself that, Granger. You can pretend all you want, but you can't deny your feelings. Not for very long, anyway." With that, he turned and exited the closet, leaving Hermione completely speechless.

**Yes, well, it's clearly obvious that the story is NOT over. I still have more to write and more to post. I would love to know what everyone thought. Reviews? Please?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alrighty! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I want you guys to know that I'm really trying to make the chapters longer, but I'm still sort of figuring the story out, so bear with me. Hope you like this one! Here it is, Chapter 3!!!**

Chapter 3

As Hermione lay awake in bed that night, Malfoy's words echoed in her head. _You can't deny your feelings. Not for very long, anyway._ What exactly did he mean by that?Damn him! It was just a kiss. A stupid, unexpected kiss. So why did she feel as if she _felt_ something for him? Ugh. Now she was thinking about him! What was wrong with her? How could she have let Draco Malfoy have this effect on her? _Stop being stupid! _She told herself. _You do NOT like Draco Malfoy! He's arrogant, self-absorbed, haughty. . .Thinks he's Merlin's gift to women. . . .Stupid git. _But even as Hermione lay there, thinking as many bad things about him as she could, she knew that she had an underlying attraction to Draco Malfoy. And as hard as she tried to keep him out of her mind, she knew that he was getting to her.

Across the building, Draco Malfoy sat in the Slytherin common room, smugly staring at the fire. He had Hermione Granger eating out of the palm of his hand. He'd had his eye on her for quite some time, but had kept it to himself. He was, after all, a Malfoy. His entire family was filled with the proudest and richest purebloods in the wizarding world. He knew his parents wouldn't take kindly to the fact that he preferred a mudblood to all the other girls he could get. But Hermione was just _better_. She wasn't stupid or dull like Pansy. And she didn't throw herself at him like practically every other girl did. She was a challenge. And Draco Malfoy loved challenges. Although the little bit of snogging they did really was a heat of the moment thing, it had been the perfect way for him to see how she felt. Clearly, it was a lot more than she let on. He would have to take things slow. It would take a lot of convincing to get her to realize her feelings. But it would be worth it. And he was bursting with ideas on how to start. He smiled to himself as he stood and walked toward his dorm. He'd have Hermione Granger yet.

When Hermione awoke the following morning, she was surprised to see several bouquets of red roses strategically placed around her "room". Parvati Patil, one of her three roommates, came rushing in.

" Omigosh, Hermione!" she squealed. " These flowers are beautiful! You must have a secret admirer!!"

Hermione smiled nervously. " Imagine that."

Lavender Brown, another of the three roommates, came in after hearing the excitement. " What's going on in here?" she asked as she pulled back Hermione's curtain. Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but Parvati cut in before she could get a word out.

" Look at all the roses Hermione got!!"

Lavender sat down at the foot of the bed. " They're gorgeous!" she cooed. "Do you know who sent them?"

" I have absolutely no idea!" Hermione lied. She happened to have a _very_ good idea of who sent them.

Parvati and Lavender continued admiring the flowers, while Hermione thought about facing Malfoy, and everybody else. She glanced at the clock. It was 7:00 am. Classes would begin at 8:30. " I'm going to get dressed and find some breakfast." She told the two. The girls nodded, still admiring the flowers.

Hermione went over to her trunk and got out her Gryffindor uniform, complete with cloak and tie. She dressed quickly and went over to the mirror to do her hair. Today, she decided, she would put it into a neat ponytail. After carefully examining her hair several times once she was finished, she grabbed her bag and headed down to the common room. As she walked down the stairs, she ran right into Harry and Ron. The three walked down to the Great Hall together, like they did every morning. Harry and Ron talked about something Seamus Finnigan had said the night before, while Hermione tried to figure out when she should tell them about the flowers.

Ten minutes into breakfast, Hermione decided the time had come. Harry and Ron were her best friends after all, so they had every right to know. But how would they react? She nervously took a bit of toast and continued weighing the pros and cons.

"Hermione, are you alright? You look. . . .nervous." Harry said.

" Yeah, is there something you want to tell us?" Ron asked as he scooped another helping of eggs onto his plate.

Hermione took a deep breath. This was it. It was now or never.

" Malfoy sent me half a dozen bouquets of roses last night." She blurted out.

Harry's pumpkin juice sprayed out of his mouth while Ron's eyes widened.

" He did what?" Harry asked, coughing slightly.

" He sent me flowers!"

" Blimey, that's unusual for Malfoy! He doesn't strike me as the affectionate type." Ron said.

" I don't think he did it to be affectionate! I think he's got some sort of bizarre idea that I like him."

" Well _do_ you?" Harry demanded.

" Of course not!" Hermione squeaked.

"Denial." Ron whispered to Harry.

" I _heard_ that!"

Hermione sighed. There was just no way they could help her with this one. All of these mixed feelings she felt only confused her. She wished Malfoy could just go back to being his obnoxious, cowardly self. It would certainly make things much easier for her. But no, he just _had _to keep pressing the matter. She glanced across the Great Hall to where he was sitting. He was laughing and talking with his friends, acting like he was the greatest thing ever. To her astonishment, he looked up and met her gaze. She blushed and looked away, but not before he winked at her.

"Omigosh, I think he just winked at me." Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron.

" I'll kill him!" Ron declared, his mouth full of little sausages.

Hermione giggled. He really was so cute when he played the big brother act.

"That's okay, Ronald. I'll just-----deal with him myself first, okay?"

" You know we're here for you if you need us." Harry told her.

She smiled. " I know. But I think I'm going to have to figure this one out on my own."

**So, what do you think? PLEASE let me know!! I'm really trying to make this more enjoyable to read and input always helps!! So, reviews? Pretty please??**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this took a while for me to update! Thank you so much to all who reviewed!! Ya'll are awesome!! Here it be! Chapter 4!!**

Chapter 4

While Harry was stuck in Potions class, Ron and Hermione were in Herbology. And unfortunately, so was Draco Malfoy. On his way into the classroom, he discreetly dropped a roll of parchment in front of Hermione. Glancing at Ron, who nodded, she unrolled it.

_Did you like the flowers?_ Ah. So this was two-way parchment. Passing notes taken to an art form. Hermione grabbed her quill and wrote: _How did you sneak into my room?_ She waited for Malfoy's answer to appear. A second later, it did.

_You know, Granger, you really disappoint me. For someone with as much supposed brilliance as yours, you really are rather dimwitted. _

_Excuse me? _She could NOT believe he just said that.

_Do you honestly think that as a member of Slytherin I could somehow sneak into the Gryffindor common room without detection and make my way up to the girls' dorms without being noticed?_

Hermione rolled her eyes at this. Could he be any more arrogant? But, even as she thought this, she couldn't help but kick herself. She knew perfectly well that there was no way Malfoy could've gotten into her room by himself.

_You had help then? _She wrote.

_Your IQ points are dropping by the sentence, Granger._

Ugh. She could hear his smug tone, even on paper.

_Well then how DID you do it, Malfoy?_

_Simple. I used Potter's elf; you know the one. He used to work for my parents a few years ago. Dino or Dumpy or Dopey. . . .something like that. _

_You mean DOBBY? _

_Yeah, him._

Hermione rolled her eyes. His lack of respect for house elves disgusted her.

_Look, Malfoy, I know those roses weren't apology bouquets. Why did you send them to me?_

_Because I know that you have feelings for me. And as much as you try, you can't deny your feelings._

_Stop saying that!_

_C'mon Granger, you know it's true. That kiss proved it._

_Malfoy, I told you that kiss didn't mean anything. It wasn't even supposed to happen._

_But it did._

_By accident! _

_It doesn't matter. I know you like me. If you really detested me as much as you claim, you wouldn't have participated. _

_Malfoy, I assure you, I could kiss you a thousand times and I would still be able to tell you that I have no feelings for you._

_So prove it._

_Excuse me?_

_One more kiss, Granger. A proper one. And I don't mean a peck, either. I'm talking full on snogging. If, after that, you can honestly tell me that you have no feelings for me whatsoever, then I'll drop the whole thing and never mention it again. _

Hermione stared at what she saw written in front of her. He couldn't be serious! But she knew he was. A full, drawn out, snog session. There was no way she could kiss him again. If she did, she feared that she would want to do it more and more. He was just so good at it! Ugh. Why was he so damn alluring? Hermione tapped her quill on the table absentmindedly. Clearly, there was no way out of this. She had to do it in order to prove to Malfoy once and for all that she did not like him.

_Fine. If that's what it'll take to get you to leave me alone, then I'll do it. _

Even though Malfoy was sitting three tables behind her, she knew he was smirking. And sure enough, his answer reflected it.

_I knew you couldn't resist._

Hermione rolled her eyes. Could he _be_ any more arrogant?

_Look Malfoy, I'm doing this purely to get you off my back. Don't interpret my rush to get it over with as any sort of actual enthusiasm. _

_Whatever you say Granger, whatever you say. Just meet me before lunch around the corner from the Great Hall. Then we can, in your words, 'get it over with.' _

_Okay! Now will you PLEASE leave me alone so I can actually pay attention?_

Without waiting for his reply, Hermione folded the parchment and stuck it in her bag.

"What was that all about? Ron whispered to her, keeping his eyes locked on the Professor.

" Nothing. It's just something I have to deal with." She told him.

* * *

When lunch came around, Hermione told Harry and Ron to go ahead of her into the Great Hall. 

"I'll be there in a minute, I just have to take care of something really quick." She said.

"Okay, we'll save you a spot." Harry promised.

As he and Ron walked through the entrance, Hermione turned and headed down the corridor. When she rounded the corner, she was surprised to see Draco Malfoy already waiting for her.

" You're late, Granger." He said in a rather obnoxious tone.

" Can we just do this?" Hermione demaded, ignoring his comment.

" Absolutely!" Malfoy walked a little ways down the hall until he came to a broom closet. He opened the door and stood aside to let Hermione through. " After you."

She rolled her eyes and walked in, then turned to face him as he closed the door.

"Think you can handle me, Granger?" He asked smugly as he stepped closer to her.

Without waiting for her retort, he stepped even closer and pushed her up against the wall. Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Malfoy placed a finger over her lips.

" Shhhh, don't say anything." With that, he took his finger away and lightly brushed his lips against hers.

Draco slowly ran his hands down her arms until his fingers were intertwined with hers. He then lifted her hands above her head and pinned them there, allowing him to _really_ look at her. He smiled. " You know, Granger, you really are beautiful when you're not glaring at me."

When Hermione opened her mouth to respond, he covered her mouth with his own, kissing her softly, then harder. As she got more and more into the kiss, he slid his tongue into her mouth. She enthusiastically intertwined hers with his.

Hermione couldn't help but think that this snog session was way better than the one they experienced in Charms. There was just something exciting about not being in total control for once. She couldn't do anything with her hands because Malfoy was making sure they stayed above her head. _Damn him! _He was making this really hard for her. How in the world was she supposed to tell him that she didn't like him? She was WILLINGLY making out with him in a broom closet! Great, just great.

Sensing that he had made his point, Malfoy pulled away from Hermione and released her hands.

" You know, Granger, I'm only cocky when I know I can back something up," he whispered. " So, are you finally ready to admit that you actually like me?"

Hermione blushed. Nobody had ever managed to have such an effect on her. Never had a little snogging left her so flustered!

" Well, I suppose that. . . I. . .may have feelings for you that. . . aren't . . . .exactly. . . hate." She admitted.

Malfoy smiled smugly. That was all he needed.

" Okay, Granger. So we've snogged twice already, I'd say it's about time we went out on an actual date."

His words caused Hermione to quickly regain her composure, as well as her common sense.

" Are you INSANE?" she exclaimed. " We can't go out on dates!"

"Why the bloody hell not?" He demanded.

Hermione was pacing now, trying to make sense of what she had just heard. " Your father's a Death Eater for one thing!"

" I can't help what I was born into." Draco said quietly.

She stopped to look at him, surprised that he had uttered those words. Nevertheless, her comeback was ready.

" Neither can I. I can't help being a muggle-born any more than you can help being the son of a Death Eater! Face it, Malfoy, this would never work. We come from two different walks of life!"

" I don't care anymore!" He declared. " Look, Granger, I can't help the way I feel about you. This whole thing would be a lot easier if you would just bloody agree to go out with me!"

" I want to! But. . I can't! Not right now, anyway! I just. . .I have to sort all of this out!"

Draco smirked, yet again. He was really getting to her!

" Well, then. While you're doing that, I suppose it's my job to convince you, isn't it?" He gave her a wink for the road as he stepped out of the closet.

As Hermione watched him leave, she really couldn't believe that he was _still_ willing to try to win her over. Draco Malfoy wouldn't rest until he got what he wanted; this she knew.

A few minutes later, she too left the closet. She smiled to herself as she ventured back to the Great Hall. This was far from over.

**And that's the end of Chapter 4!! So, how was it?? Be honest, I can take it!!! More to come soon!! In the meantime. . . .reviews?? Pretty please with sugar on top????**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, thank you everyone for being so patient! This next chapter is dedicated to all of my reviewers. Seriously, you guys are so awesome! I really really hope everyone likes this next part. Here it is! Chapter 5!! Enjoy!!**

Chapter 5

"Sorry about that." Hermione apologized to Harry and Ron as she took a seat across from them at the Gryffindor table.

" So where exactly did you sneak off to?" Harry asked.

Hermione smiled and rolled her eyes. " Nowhere special. I just had to meet Malfoy for a second." When the two did nothing but stare at her, she continued, " I just had to talk to him and, you know, get things straightened out."

Ron started to say something, but as his mouth was full as usual, Harry spoke instead. " So he's going to leave you alone now?"

Hermione shifted her eyes downward. " Well, no, not exactly."

Ron, who had reached across the table to grab a bowl of pudding, stopped and looked at her. " What's that supposed to mean?"

Hermione blushed and looked down at her lap. " Well. . . he just. . . sort of. . . asked me out."

Harry immediately jumped up and looked around the Great Hall. " Where is he? _I'll_ kill him!"

Hermione grabbed his arm and yanked him down into a sitting position. " Harry, please don't!" she begged. " I appreciate you guys being so protective of me, really I do, but I can handle this on my own. Really."

" If you're sure. . ." Ron scowled.

"I'm sure." Hermione reassured.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The trio gathered their things and headed off to class: Harry and Ron to Transfiguration, Hermione to Arithmancy.

When Harry and Ron walked into Transfiguration, they saw Malfoy sitting at a table with Crabbe and Goyle, laughing about something.

" I say we go over there and knock his head off." Ron muttered.

" I call the first punch." Harry replied.

The two walked over to the table they shared with Neville and dumped their bags there. Then they made their way over to Malfoy, where he was now surrounded by a group of people, all laughing hysterically at something he had said. When he noticed them coming, he waved everyone away.

" Ah Potter, Weasley! I don't suppose you're coming here to give me and Granger your blessing?" he smirked.

" Quite the opposite, actually." Harry told him threateningly.

" Yeah, so you just stay away from her, Malfoy." Ron ordered forcefully.

Malfoy was sitting and Harry and Ron towered above him, standing side by side in front of his table. But Malfoy was neither scared, nor intimidated. He leaned back in his chair, his feet on the table, his hands behind his head.

" And I suppose you're going to make me?" He asked smugly.

"That's right. We're only going to warn you once, Malfoy. Stay away from Hermione." Harry told him.

" I'm afraid I can't do that, boys." He said matter-of-factly, standing up to face them.

" Then you leave us no choice." Ron said darkly, moving around the table to stand in front of him. Harry moved closer as well, taking his wand out as he went. Crabbe and Goyle stood up defensively as Malfoy drew his own wand.

" MALFOY! POTTER! WEASLEY!" Professor McGonagall screeched as she entered the room. " My desk, NOW!" she ordered. Harry and Ron looked around, and noticed for the first time that all of the other students were at their tables. Slowly, they put their wands away and walked to the front of the classroom, Malfoy behind them.

" What is the meaning of this?" she demanded in hushed tones.

" They attacked me, Professor. I had no choice but to pull out my wand." Malfoy told her pompously.

"That is NOT true!" Ron argued, glaring fiercely at him.

" Professor, it's a long story. What it really comes down to is Malfoy bothering Hermione. We were only trying to get him to leave her alone." Harry explained quickly.

" Potter, you and Mr. Weasley surely realize that Miss Granger isn't even in this class?" McGonagall asked.

" Of course, Professor. But, you see, Malfoy's been bothering her for a few days now. He's been sending her flowers and passing her notes in class. We were only trying to get him to stop bothering her." Ron said.

" I don't suppose it ever occurred to you that Granger might actually _like _me?" Malfoy sneered.

" NO!" said Harry and Ron together.

Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes. " Enough of this." She looked at Harry and Ron before continuing. " I think it is very noble and gallant of you two to try and protect Miss Granger. But when you are in my classroom, it is not the appropriate time or place to do so. I would appreciate it if from now on, you kept outside matters out of my classroom."

Harry and Ron exchanged guilty looks, but nodded.

"Very well, then. Twenty points will be taken from Gryffindor, ten for the both of you." She said. Malfoy sniggered at this, and it was then that McGonagall turned her attention to him. " As for you, Mr. Malfoy, five points will be taken from Slytherin for your role in this disturbance." Malfoy scowled and folded his arms across his chest, but said nothing. " Now that we have that settled, kindly take your seats." McGonagall said. Without missing a beat, she walked around her desk and began addressing the class. Harry and Ron rejoined Neville at their table and slumped down in their seats. Malfoy glared at them both as he passed.

Once class ended, Harry and Ron rushed to the Gryffindor common room to meet Hermione before dinner. Neither one had been able to pay attention to Transfiguration because both were mulling over Malfoy's words. _" I don't suppose it ever occurred to you that Granger might actually like me?" _Was he serious? And more importantly, was it possible that he was right? Did Hermione actually like Draco Malfoy?

When she finally walked through the portrait hole, Harry and Ron jumped up to meet her. Hermione was carrying an armload full of books and she had an anxious look on her face.

" You wouldn't believe the amount of homework I have to do for Arithmancy! I swear it's going to take hours; it's so complex! Of course, I've already read the chapter, so I suppose I could just-----"

Before Hermione could finish, Harry and Ron interrupted, wanting answers to their questions.

" Hermione, do you like Draco Malfoy?" Ron demanded.

Hermione's expression turned from anxious to surprised. " Why in the world would you ask me that? I already told you I didn't."

" Yeah, but Malfoy seems to think otherwise." Harry informed her.

Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously. " WHAT did you _do_?"

" Sit down and we'll explain everything." Harry told her.

Ron moved forward and took the books from her arms, then led her over to the nearest couch.

The two then proceeded to tell her all about Transfiguration. All the while, she sat there, staring at them both. When they finally finished, they stood there and waited for her to say something. She was silent for what seemed like the longest time, and then she spoke.

" I thought I told you that I would handle it." Hermione said quietly.

" We know, and we're sorry. But we don't want to see you get hurt or anything. It is Malfoy, after all." Ron said, rubbing his arm nervously.

" Did it ever occur to either one of you that you may not know him as well as you think you do?" Hermione asked a bit fiercely.

" I'd like to ask you the same question." Harry shot back.

Hermione thought a while before answering. There were some things about her that Harry and Ron would never understand. She knew they meant well, but this was such a touchy subject.

" You're right, Harry. I don't know him as well as I think I do. And neither do you. And. . . I can't believe I'm saying this. . . .but. . . .I do think that I may have. . . . . .certain feelings for him. And they're feelings I can't really explain because I don't know what they are. Yet."

Ron nodded, as if trying to understand it all. " We're really sorry, Hermione. We were only trying to look out for you."

She smiled. " And I appreciate that. Really. Now, I'm going up to my room for a minute. I'll be right back."

Once Hermione was out of earshot, Ron turned to Harry. " She took that pretty well." He said, relief in his voice.

" I thought she was going to hex us to be honest." Harry told him.

" OH. MY. GOD!!!!" came a screech from upstairs.

" That sounded an awful lot like Hermione." Ron observed.

"Yeah, no kidding." Harry agreed. " We better go make sure she's okay."

The two ran upstairs to the girls' dorms and knocked lightly on Hermione's door. " Hermione, is everything okay?" Harry called.

" Come in here!" she called back. " You HAVE to see this!"

Harry looked at Ron, who shrugged and pushed open the door. At once, their vision was flooded with bouquets of flowers. Roses were everywhere: On the floor, on the window sills, all around Hermione's bed. No other part of the room was touched; only Hermione's corner.

"Bloody hell." Ron said. " It looks like a florist shop exploded in here."

He and Harry moved closer to Hermione, who was holding a silver pendant in her hand.

" Look at this!" she told them, admiring it. " Do you have any idea how much this costs?"

The boys shook their heads, knowing full well that she was about to tell them.

" A necklace this pure costs something like ten thousand galleons!"

Harry's jaw dropped in surprise, while Ron stepped closer to examine it.

" Malfoys sure don't spare any expense, do they?" he said, rather bitterly.

" Put it on, put it on!" she squealed, thrusting the necklace at Harry and holding her hair up so he could see what he was doing.

" Omigosh, I HAVE to go talk to him! I'll meet you two in the Great Hall!" With that, she sped off, leaving them behind to wonder what the hell had just happened. Again.

**And that is the end of Chapter 5!! I have more to write and more to post, so in the meantime. . . .reviews?? Pretty please with sugar AND a cherry on top??? **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you everyone for being so patient!! Reviewers, you guys ROCK!! I know it took me a while, but I finally finished Chapter 6!! Here it is!!! Enjoy!!!!**

Chapter 6

Hermione raced out of the Gryffindor common room and down one of the many corridors that led to the Slytherin common room. She had checked the Marauder's Map on her way out and was nearly positive that that was where Malfoy was headed. She hoped it wouldn't look too unusual if someone saw her headed in that direction. She was a prefect after all, and therefore had every right to patrol the corridors.

When Hermione arrived at the portrait that concealed the common room entrance, she suddenly realized how ridiculous she was being. She had rushed out of Gryffindor Tower without any sort of plan. She had no idea how to get into the Slytherin common room, let alone an idea involving how to get Malfoy out. Luckily for her, three Slytherin second years were racing down the corridor towards her, tossing a Fanged Frisbee back and forth.

"Hold it!" Hermione screeched, stopping the second years. " Fanged Frisbees are for outdoor use ONLY. Hand it over." The boys looked at each other and exchanged looks of disgust before handing over the Frisbee.

" Thank you. I assume you three are in Slytherin?" she asked.

The tallest of the three boys rolled his eyes. " Well that's kind of obvious, isn't it? We wouldn't be here otherwise."

Hermione gave him a stern look. " Never mind that. I need to speak with Draco Malfoy on a prefect matter. Dumbledore's orders. Can you get him to come out here, please?"

The tall boy shrugged. " Whatever." He moved past Hermione to get to the portrait. " Articulous Drayconan." He recited. At once, the portrait swung open to reveal a door. As the boys climbed through, Hermione handed the Frisbee back to the third one.

A few minutes later, Draco Malfoy appeared from behind the portrait. Once he saw Hermione, he grinned his classic Malfoy grin, smugness and all. She couldn't help but blush.

" Dumbledore's orders, Granger? Very clever." He complimented as he walked toward her.

"Yes, well, I had to think of some way to get you to come out here, didn't I?" Hermione responded coolly.

Malfoy's eyes settled upon the pendant around her neck. " I see you got the gift I sent you."

" Yes, and it's beautiful." Hermione told him, her eyes shining. " But it's way too much. I can't let you waste your money on me."

Malfoy smirked. " Relax, Granger. I can afford it."

Hermione just stared at him. She had been right in thinking that Malfoy wouldn't give up until he got what he wanted. All Malfoys were like that. They went after what they wanted and they wouldn't rest until they had it.

" My point is, Malfoy, that it's way too much to spend just to get me to go out with you." Hermione said.

Malfoy shrugged. " Do you know a better way? I know you like me, Granger. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get you to admit it."

" But I DO like you! I'm just not ready to let everyone know yet." Hermione admitted.

" Are you at least ready to go out with me? Because if you're not, there's a pair of earrings that go with the pendant."

" Malfoy, please! No more gifts!"

He grinned sheepishly as he presented her with a small black box. " Too late."

Hermione gasped as she took the box from him. Slowly she opened it, and inside was a pair of diamond earrings that matched the heart shaped pendant. Emotions flooded over her as she closed the box and threw her arms around Malfoy's neck. She kissed him fully and passionately, completely overwhelmed by his. . . . everything.

Malfoy broke away from the kiss to look at her. " Have dinner with me tomorrow. In the Room of Requirement."

Hermione thought about it. She was still so unsure. " I don't know." She said.

Malfoy tilted her chin upward, forcing her to look at him. " Hermione. . . . please." He said.

_Omigod, I think he just said my name. He called me Hermione! He really is serious about this! I can't believe it! He called me Hermione!_

" You----you called me Hermione." She stuttered. " I don't think you've ever called me that before."

Malfoy smiled. " Well, if we start going out, we should be on a first name basis, don't you think?"

" Yes." Hermione answered weakly.

" So, it's agreed then? Dinner tomorrow in the Room of Requirement? Around 7:30?" Malfoy asked.

" That sounds really wonderful, _Draco_." She responded, putting special emphasis on his name. With that, she turned and walked back down the corridor, feeling happiness she hadn't felt in a long time.

* * *

Five minutes later, Hermione arrived at the Great Hall. She scanned the Gryffindor table and quickly found Harry and Ron.

"Hi, sorry I'm late!" she said as she took a seat next to Harry.

" You better bloody well be sorry." Ron snapped, taking an enormous bite of chicken.

"What's up with you?" Hermione asked.

" Well, you left us standing in your room. Lavender came up for something and about screamed when she saw us. We looked like complete idiots, standing there in the middle of all those flowers! She thought we were leaving them for you." Harry told her.

" Oh, well I'm sorry. But I just had to go and talk to Draco." Hermione explained.

" Draco? On a first name basis now, are you?" Ron snorted.

" Yes, actually, we are. I'm having dinner with him tomorrow." Hermione fired back.

" Dinner with him? Like, at the Slytherin table?" Harry asked.

" No, of course not! We'll be in the Room of Requirement." Hermione said, as if was obvious.

When neither Harry nor Ron said anything, she lowered her voice. " Look, I know that neither one of you approves of this, but I happen to like Draco. A lot. So could you at least try to be happy for me? Please?"

Harry and Ron exchanged looks of exasperation, but nodded.

" Okay, Hermione. If it's that important to you, we'll try." Harry said.

Hermione smiled. " Thanks. You two are honestly the best friends anyone could ever have."

The next evening around 6:30, Hermione began getting ready for her date with Draco. She had never felt this nervous or excited before. Sure, there was that thing with Victor Krum, but he had never actually given her goosebumps. Nor was his kissing nearly as good as Draco's. There was just something about Draco Malfoy. Maybe it was his allure, maybe it was his wit, and maybe it was even his arrogance. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the fact that he had been her sworn enemy for the past six years. They had called each other names, thrown countless insults and back and forth and had even resorted to violence on one particular occasion (She had punched Draco, back in third year.) And now, here they were, snogging in broom closets and having dinner in the Room of Requirement. How can anger, frustration and hate suddenly turn into physical passion? There was just _something_ about a war!

It was about forty-five minutes later when Hermione began making her way over to the Room of Requirement. She was wearing a dress and heels, along with the pendant and earrings Draco had given her. She knew she looked good and she knew that Draco would think so. But she still had butterflies in her stomach. No guy had ever had this effect on her. She could feel her heart beating faster as she walked up to the Room of Requirement. The black door appeared as she approached, and she stepped inside.

The room was absolutely beautiful. Candles were everywhere, as was an aroma of delicious food. Hermione felt a pair of muscular arms drape themselves around her waist. " Hi, beautiful." Draco whispered as he kissed her neck. She smiled as he walked her over to the table. This was definitely going to be an interesting night.

**And that's the end of Chapter 6!! Hope everyone liked it!! More coming soon, but until then. . . .reviews???? Pretty please??? **


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you everyone for being so patient!! It's like, 3:31 a.m, but I finally finished this next chapter!! Reviewers, you guys are so awesome! I couldn't do it without you!! Anyway, here's Chapter 7! Hope you like!**

Chapter 7

" The room is absolutely wonderful!" Hermione said to Draco as she sat down at the table. The room really did look spectacular. The table was covered with delicious looking food, all Draco's doing, she was sure. It was, after all, impossible for the Room of Requirement to produce food. It was a dimly lit room, thus making the candles look all the more amazing. There was a couch in the far corner of the room, which Hermione suspected was there for relaxation purposes. There was even soft music playing in the background, which added the perfect touch to a very romantic setting.

" Thank you. I do try." He answered, a slight hint of smugness in his voice.

" So, how did you manage it? I mean, the Room of Requirement only appears when someone has real need of it. I really don't think a first date qualifies." Hermione said.

" Well, it doesn't. But doesn't it make sense that the room would appear for the sake of house unity?" Malfoy said as he took his place on the opposite side of the table.

Hermione leaned forward. " Interesting theory. Please, elaborate."

" Think about it," he said as he grabbed a roll and bit into it, " Two people from different houses decide they like each other, but don't want to tell anyone just yet. Where are they to go if they don't want to be seen?"

" Yes, yes. Go on." Hermione encouraged as she took a bite of salad.

" Well, isn't it general knowledge that the professors have been trying to promote unity among the houses for years? Particularly Slytherin and Gryffindor? And wouldn't you think that the first signs of progression would be a secret relationship _between_ a Slytherin and Gryffindor? Therefore, wouldn't it seem natural for the school to encourage it by allowing them access to the Room of Requirement?"

Hermione sat back in amazement. It had never occurred to her that Draco Malfoy could be so intelligent. " You know Draco, I never knew you to be so intellectually aware of everything."

Malfoy sat back, clearly pleased with himself. " There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Granger."

Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise. " Granger? Back to a last name basis, are we?"

" Don't worry, it's actually a good thing this time." He told her reassuringly. " So, I've done enough talking. You now know that I'm smart. Tell me something I don't know about you."

This caused Hermione to blush. What was there to tell? " To be honest, there's really nothing that interesting about me. I mean, I study hard and I thrive on information. I love learning. Knowledge is my power." She said, rather unconvincingly.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. " But I already _know_ that. School and learning may be a big part of your life, Hermione, but that kind of stuff doesn't define you as a person. What are you really like, behind the books, I mean?"

Hermione reached over and took a roll as she considered his question. Nobody had ever asked her about her inner being. _She_ hadn't even thought about it. "Well," she said, thinking carefully, " I suppose I have this underlying need to prove myself. I've always been like that, but ever since I started at Hogwarts, the need became bigger. I guess maybe I've just been after acceptance."

Malfoy nodded, as if he seemed to understand. At this, Hermione sighed in relief. She felt as if a big weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

" You know, I don't think I've ever told anyone that before." She confessed.

Draco smiled. " Well, I'm really glad you told me. And for the record, I feel like that too sometimes."

Hermione returned his smile. " Okay, so I just spilled my guts to you. Your turn. Tell me something I don't know about _you_."

Malfoy shrugged as he helped himself to some pasta. " Well, let's see. I do speak five languages, although that's not a very interesting piece of information."

At hearing this, Hermione nearly choked on her fettuccine.

" You----five languages? You speak------_five _languages?" she coughed.

Malfoy shrugged again. " Yeah, it's nothing special, really. I had tutors when I was younger. My parents wanted me to have the best education money could buy. Well, before I went off to Hogwarts, obviously."

"I think that's incredible!" Hermione breathed.

Draco smiled rather modestly, a first for him. " Well, thanks. But I think your knowledge is far more impressive."

Hermione blushed, a habit that seemed to increase as she spent more time with Draco Malfoy. And it was also a habit that did not go unnoticed.

" You know, Granger, you certainly seem to blush a lot when we're together." Malfoy observed.

Hermione smiled flirtatiously at him. " I can't really help it. You just have this effect on me."

Draco leaned forward. " Personally, I like that. You're really cute when you get all flustered."

Hermione blushed, yet again, and continued her conversation with Draco. It was interesting, the things you could learn about someone. All these years, she had thought she knew all about him, when in fact she hadn't even scratched the surface.

* * *

Across the castle in the Gryffindor common room, Harry and Ron were having a conversation of their own. 

" What do you suppose they're doing?" Ron wondered, his eyes focused intently on the fire in front of them.

" I dunno, talking probably." Harry guessed, poking the couch he was sitting on.

" I still don't see how it happened. I mean, what could they possibly have in common? His dad's a bloody Death Eater! One who hates muggle-borns no less! It doesn't make any sense!" Ron declared.

"Stranger things have happened." Harry reminded him.

Just then, Ginny Weasley walked over to them, looking bored.

" You two look awfully serious. What's going on?"

" Oh nothing. Hermione's going out with Malfoy is all." Ron answered darkly.

" She's WHAT??" Ginny screeched.

" Shhhhhh!" Harry said, pulling her down onto the couch. " I don't think we're supposed to tell anyone."

" When did this happen? And why didn't she tell me?" Ginny demanded.

" She doesn't want anyone to know!" Harry told her.

"Well, I still think she could've had the decency to tell me! I'm her friend too!" she said, folding her arms across her chest.

"She'll probably tell you when she's ready." Harry assured her.

" Well, when she gets back here I'm going to give her a piece of my mind!" Ginny declared, glaring at the fire.

" No, you won't." Ron said. " Hermione will kill us if she finds out we told you, so you just keep your trap shut."

The three of them were silent for a few minutes, each one engrossed in their own thoughts. Finally, Ginny broke the silence.

" Draco _Malfoy_? Why him?" she wondered aloud, more to herself than anyone else.

" Trust me, we've been wondering the same thing." Harry told her.

* * *

Back in the Room of Requirement, Hermione and Draco were finishing up with dinner. They had talked about different things, but mostly they had gotten to know each other. Hermione had found out that Draco had an interest in Literature and was actually quite studious. Meanwhile, Draco had found that Hermione was more interested in Quidditch than she let on, and also that she had a secret obsession with chocolate. 

"Do you want to go sit on the couch for a while, and maybe talk a little more?" Malfoy asked as he stood up.

Hermione smiled. " I'd love to."

He held out his hand and she took it, and they walked over to the couch together. Hermione slipped off her heels and fell gracefully onto the soft cushions. Malfoy grinned as he climbed on top of her and brought his mouth to hers. The kisses started softly and slowly, but quickly turned into harder, more passionate ones. They began snogging fully, their tongues dancing, Malfoy running his hands all over her body. Hermione let it go on for a while before she finally pushed him off of her. " I thought we were going to talk!" she said, playfully jabbing his shoulder. " Alright, alright." He muttered good-naturedly as he sat up. He pulled her closer to him as she sat up, and moved her legs so that they were draped across his lap. " So, does this mean we definitely have a second date?" Draco asked. "Most definitely yes!" Hermione said. She sighed happily as he softly stroked her legs. She didn't want the night to end. It had all been so perfect. So, of course, she didn't have any problems falling asleep in Draco Malfoy's arms.

**And that's the end of Chapter 7!! More coming soon!! How was it?? Let me know!! I can take the criticism!! ( Places hand on forehead melodramatically) So, how about it? Reviews?? Pretty please with sugar on top??**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you everyone for being so patient!!! Reviewers, once again, ya'll are awesome!! I wouldn't have the inspiration without you guys!! Okay, so here is the next part of the story!! Chapter 8!! Enjoy!!!**

Chapter 8

Hermione awoke with a start the next morning. Memories of the night before came flooding back to her. At once, she realized that she was not in her dorm room, but instead in the Room of Requirement. They must've fallen asleep on the couch. It was, after all, quite comfortable. She could feel the steady rhythm of Draco's heartbeat against her head. His soft breathing told her that he was still asleep. _I can't believe we spent the entire night here,_ Hermione thought, sighing. And then it dawned on her. _Omigod, we spent the ENTIRE night here!! Omigod! _She bolted upright at this thought, accidentally waking Malfoy at the same time.

" Wha---what's going on?" he yawned.

" Draco, wake up! We accidentally fell asleep last night and I'm pretty sure it's morning! Ohhhhhh, we are going to be in SO much trouble." Hermione got up off the couch and began walking around the room, her mind working overtime.

" We weren't in our beds last night. . . .surely people have noticed. . . . .maybe the professors haven't found out yet. . . . . there has to be a way out of this!" She was panicking.

Malfoy came up behind her and put his arms around her waist, mostly to get her to stop moving. " Calm down." He whispered. "It's going to be fine."

"How?" Hermione wailed, wiggling herself free so she could turn around to face him. " How is this going to be fine?"

He smiled at her, a little smugly. " And you're supposed to be intelligent!"

" Oh, ha ha." She said sarcastically, not the least bit amused.

" Look," he said, " We fell asleep pretty early, which means it's probably early right now, wouldn't you think?"

Hermione couldn't argue with this, so he continued.

" Now, it's Saturday, so they're aren't any classes going on. I'm sure most people aren't even awake by now. All we have to do is leave here and go back to our respective common rooms. Nobody will even know."

" You're right," she sighed, " You're right. I don't know why I get so worked up all the time. Habit, I suppose." She sat back down on the couch and reached for her shoes. After putting them on, she stood back up. Smiling at Draco, she kissed him lightly on the cheek. " Thank you. . . . for everything." Hermione turned to leave, but not before he pulled her back to him. " You're not getting off that easy." He teased, pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss. Finally he let her go, and she walked towards the door, blushing ever so slightly.

" Don't think I'm going to forget about our second date!" he called after her.

* * *

Hermione managed to tiptoe into the Gryffindor common room after a particularly long lecture from the Fat Lady. Looking around, she was glad to see that she was alone. She quietly made her way up to her dormitory, trying hard not to wake Lavender and Parvati as she opened the door. She moved around as quickly and quietly as she could, taking her dress off and throwing it in a corner. Digging into her trunk, she got out one of the many books she had borrowed from the library. She then grabbed a T-shirt and pulled it on, then climbed into bed soundlessly. Now all she had to do was wait for everyone to wake up.

* * *

Less than three hours later, Parvati and Lavendar awoke to find Hermione engrossed in her book, which was not at all unusual, considering they found her like that nearly every morning. " Good morning!" Hermione greeted them brightly, turning a page. Parvati and Lavender exchanged looks before giggling to themselves. This made Hermione look up from her book.

" What?" she asked innocently.

" Oh, c'mon Hermione, we're not stupid!" Parvati said, resisting the urge to smile.

" Yeah! We know you went out with your mystery man last night. And we also know that you got in pretty late, because we certainly didn't go to bed that early." Lavender told her.

Hermione turned a fiery shade of red. " Okay, okay. I was out a little later than I expected! But please. . . you can't tell anyone!"

Parvati giggled, yet again. " Don't worry, Hermione, we're not going to tell anyone."

Lavender nodded her head in agreement. " But," she said as she jumped on Hermione's bed, " we're DYING to know who he is! So dish!"

Well, this was definitely something Hermione had NOT expected. " I----I can't!" she stuttered. " We sort of. . . .want to keep it a secret for a while."

" Ooooo, secret love! That's so romantic!!" Parvati gushed.

" Isn't it?!" Hermione lied as she climbed out of bed and hurried to get dressed. She absolutely couldn't stand it when Parvati and Lavender started getting all mushy when they gossiped. Six years spent with Harry and Ron had had a significant impact on her. She detested girl talk, especially when discussing _feelings _and _emotions. _It was way too uncomfortable.

" Well, I've promised Harry and Ron that I'd meet them for breakfast! I'll see you guys later!" With that, she dashed out of the room, glad she had the excuse to leave.

Once in the common room, Hermione plopped into the armchair she normally sat in while waiting for Harry and Ron. She almost always had a book with her, considering she usually did quite a bit of waiting. But today, she just stared blankly at the opposite wall, deep in thought.

She sat there for ten, maybe twenty minutes before Ginny came strolling into the room.

" Good morning, Hermione!" she greeted.

" Oh, hey Ginny! What's up?"

" Oh, you know, the usual. Hey, Herms, do you mind me asking you something?"

" Not at all!"

"Well, it's just, you've been looking sort of. . . .different. . . .lately. Is anything wrong?"

Hermione shook her head. " I'm completely fine. Never been better!"

Ginny looked at her intently. " Really?"

" Really." Was her friend's response.

" Are you absolutely _sure _there's nothing you want to tell me?"

" I'm sure. Ginny, trust me, if there was something going on with me, you'd be one of the first to know." Hermione reassured her.

Ginny shrugged. " Okay, well. . . you know I'm always here." And with that, she walked away disappointedly. She was sure she could've coaxed Hermione into telling her about Malfoy. _Oh well_, she thought, _I'm sure she'll tell me when she's ready._

As Ginny walked back up to her dormitory, Harry and Ron came down from theirs, each one looking like they hadn't gotten any sleep.

Hermione jumped up as soon as she saw them coming. " You two look terrible!" she exclaimed, rushing over to them.

" Oh, we're fine!" Ron said cheerfully, even though there were extreme dark circles under his eyes.

" Yeah, we're great!" Harry added. " We're really more interested in what you have to say!"

" Especially since _someone_ had a late night last night!" Ron teased, dancing around Hermione, who promptly blushed.

" Nothing happened, okay? I swear, we just fell asleep!" she told them unconvincingly.

" Uh-huh." Harry said, clearly not believing her.

As they exited the common room and walked toward the Great Hall, Ron and Harry continued to badger her, wanting to know what had really happened between her and Malfoy.

" Wait a second!" Hermione exclaimed, stopping. " You two waited up for me, didn't you? _That's_ why you look so tired!"

This time, it was their turn to blush.

" Well, we. . . just wanted to. . ." Ron mumbled, looking down.

" We were only trying to. . ." Harry trailed off, avoiding eye contact with Hermione.

To their surprise, she just giggled. " You two are so cute! You really just wanted to protect me, didn't you?"

When neither one responded, Hermione stood on her tiptoes so that she could give each one a peck on the cheek.

The moment would've been supremely awkward had Draco Malfoy not come along at that moment. He casually nudged Hermione with his shoulder and continued walking on. Taking this as her cue, she hurried Ron and Harry into the Great Hall, told them she'd be there in a minute, and followed Malfoy. Curiously enough, he led her straight into yet another broom closet!

" So. . ." he greeted, stepping closer to her.

" So. . ." she agreed, knowing exactly what he meant.

" Did you get back to your common room, okay?" he asked.

She nodded, slowly putting her arms around his neck. " You were right. None of the professors found out."

" I told you everything would be fine, didn't I?" He said rather cockily as he slipped his arms around her waist.

And so the snogging began. But for the first time, neither one pushed away. Hermione ran her hands through Draco's hair, while he ran his hands over the small of her back, over her waist, over her bum. Slowly, he began unbuttoning her shirt. She didn't stop him, but instead tugged at his shirt, encouraging him to take it off. He finished with hers first, casting it aside. Then, he pulled his up and over his head and tossed it behind her, making sure it was out of the way. He wasted no time in roughly pushing her up against the wall as their snogging became heated. She ran her hands all over his muscular chest, thoroughly enjoying their little game.

After a few minutes, Hermione broke away from the kiss and slid out of Draco's grasp. She picked her shirt up off the ground and began putting it back on. His jaw dropped open as she grabbed his shirt off the floor and handed it to him.

" What the---?" He started to ask, but she placed her index finger over his lips.

" Not until after our third date." She whispered seductively. With that, she walked over to the door and opened it. She looked back at Draco and winked at him before she left the closet.

Hermione smiled as she walked back to the Great Hall. If that didn't keep him coming back, nothing would.

**And that's the end of Chapter 8!! So, how was it?? I'd love to know what everyone thought!!!! More coming soon!!!! Until then. . . .reviews??? Pretty please???**


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, so I know this took me a while, but I finally got this chapter finished! Once again, I have to thank all of my reviewers!! You guys are so incredibly AWESOME!! Thanks everyone for being so patient!! Here's Chapter 9!!**

Chapter 9

Once Hermione made it to the Great Hall, she looked around for Harry and Ron. She walked toward them and abruptly stopped when she had made it closer to where they were sitting. She was both surprised and amused to see that both were clearly asleep. Harry's head was face down in his cereal, while Ron was propped up by his left arm, and a fork holding a bit of pastry was in his right arm. Hermione giggled as she walked over to them. She sat down next to Ron and helped herself to some breakfast. She figured they'd wake up eventually. They deserved to sleep. After all, they'd waited up for her into the early hours of the morning. They really were the best friends anyone could have.

Just as she immersed herself in her thoughts, Neville Longbottom strolled in and took a seat next to her.

" Hey, Hermione!" He greeted as he scooped a rather large helping of eggs onto his plate.

" Oh hi, Neville." She responded, in a dreamy sort of voice.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, before Neville finally noticed Harry and Ron.

" Um, are they okay?" He asked, pointing his fork in their direction.

Hermione glanced over at them and smiled. " Yeah, they're just a little tired."

Neville tilted his head sideways as he examined Harry. " Shouldn't we wake them?"

" Nah. They're exhausted. I'll wake them in a while." She said, taking a bite of toast.

Neville shrugged and took a drink of pumpkin juice. He eyed Hermione cautiously, as if he wanted to ask her something. After battling with his thoughts for about ten minutes, he finally turned to look at her.

" Ummmm, Hermione?" he asked, rather timidly.

" Yes, Neville?"

" Well, I um, I've heard some rumors. About you. And. . . . well. . . . I. . ." he trailed off.

" Wanted to know if they were true?" Hermione finished kindly.

Neville blushed. " Yeah."

" Well, what sort of rumors have you heard?" she wanted to know.

" Just one, actually. A lot of people are saying that. . . .well. . . . .they're saying that you're going out with Draco Malfoy."

Hermione nearly choked on a piece of bacon at hearing this. Unable to control herself, she grabbed Neville by the front of his shirt, pulling his face within inches of hers.

" _Who_ did you hear that from?" she demanded.

" P-Pansy Parkinson!" Neville choked out, terrified.

Hermione looked into his eyes. He was definitely telling the truth. She released him, rather harshly, and stood up to look around the Great Hall. Where exactly was Pansy Parkinson? _Doesn't matter, _Hermione thought angrily, _I'll find her. _With that, she stood up and prepared to leave.

" Wait!" Neville cried as she began walking away.

"What?" She asked irritably, turning to look at him.

" Well. . . .what about them?" Neville wanted to know, pointing at Harry and Ron.

Hermione sighed. In her haste, she'd forgotten all about them. " I really have to go, Neville. Do you think you could handle it . . . somehow?"

He nodded, still frightened because of her sudden outburst.

" Thank you so much, Neville. I owe you, okay?" Hermione spun on her heel and headed out of the Hall and into the corridors. She really didn't know where Pansy was, so she figured she'd have to get the Marauder's Map from Harry's trunk. Unfortunately, she couldn't possibly get into his dorm without him. Well, maybe it was somehow possible to summon Dobby. . .

Because she was so immersed in her plans, Hermione didn't notice the blonde-haired person standing a few feet in front of her. She walked right into him and he instantly grabbed her, preventing her from moving. Looking up, she found herself face to face with Draco Malfoy.

" Hey, Granger." He snickered, " Come here often?"

" We need to talk!" she hissed, completely ignoring his joke.

He sobered up quickly as he noticed the intensity in her tone of voice. He took her by the arm and led her to a deserted corridor.

" What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes searching her face concernedly.

" Neville Longbottom has just informed me that Pansy Parkinson is spreading rumors about us!" Hermione told him.

" Damn! I thought this might happen." Draco said, more to himself than Hermione.

" You WHAT? You KNEW this would happen?" she screeched.

Malfoy quickly covered her mouth with his hand and pushed her up against the wall. " Shhhhhhhh! We don't want anyone to come over here."

Hermione glared at him and he quickly removed his hand. " Sorry!" he said hastily.

" Draco, if you didn't say anything about us, then where is she getting all of these ideas?"

" Well, I _was_ going out with her for a while. She's probably just sore because I broke it off unexpectedly."

" I didn't know you broke up with her like that! I just assumed the relationship went bad or something."

" Well, it did. . . .sort of." Malfoy blushed before continuing.

" I mean, I broke up with her around the time. . . . I started having feelings for you."

" Oh." Hermione said softly.

Shifting her eyes away from Draco's she said, " Well now I suppose we have to find a way to deal with the rumors."

Malfoy interlocked his fingers with Hermione's.

" You know," he said as he nibbled her neck, " We could just go out and prove that the rumors are true."

Hermione looked up at him. " You mean---?" she asked.

" Admit that we're a couple, yeah." He said.

" I still don't know if I'm ready for that, yet. I mean, think about how things will change!" Hermione told him.

Malfoy slammed his fist against the wall. " Dammit Hermione, I don't care anymore! I just want to be with you. I'll admit it to the free world if I have to!"

" You will?" she whispered.

He looked into her eyes, wanting her to understand, wanting her to see that he was crazy about her.

"Yes!" he declared, tilting his head slightly so that their lips could meet.

" But, I want you to be able to say the same thing to me." He said to her as he broke away from the kiss. "And you can't yet; not right now at least."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Draco stopped her.

" No, it's okay. I understand. And I'll wait until you're ready." He gave her hand a tight squeeze before walking away, a rather sad expression on his face.

**And that's the end of Chapter 9!! I know it was kinda short, but the next chapter should hopefully make up for that. I'd really REALLY like to know what everyone thought!! Sooooo. . . . . how 'bout it?? Reviews??? Pretty PRETTY please????**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, it saddens me to say that this is the last chapter of my story! (Tears!) This story is my first ever fanfic, and it's kind of my baby, so I'm like, really attached to it. I wanted it to go out with a BANG and so I made the last chapter kinda long. Thank you everyone for being so patient! Reviewers, I couldn't have done it without ya'll!! You guys were my inspiration and my encouragement!! So, here it is! The final chapter! **

Chapter 10

* * *

Hermione stood there in the deserted corridor, tears swelling up in her eyes. She had never felt this confused in her entire life. She liked Draco Malfoy. And she couldn't deny it. He had, after all, shown her a side of himself that he'd kept hidden for the past six years. Until recently, she never would've guessed that Draco was sweet, intelligent, caring and, above all, deep. Furthermore, he had no desire to follow in his father's footsteps. He just wanted to be a decent person; he had no interest in the Dark Arts. She liked all of those things about him. And she knew it. So why, then, was she having trouble admitting her feelings to everyone else? 

As Hermione pondered this question, she wandered absentmindedly up to the Gryffindor common room. Once there, she eased herself into an armchair and did some more thinking. It wasn't long before she began having an inner struggle with herself. She really really wanted to be able to openly admit that she liked Draco Malfoy. It would feel so freeing to be able to walk around with him, to snog in public, to sit together in class. . . .But at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder what people would say. She was in Gryffindor and he was in Slytherin. Wouldn't their relationship only make things more difficult for them if they were to admit that they were, indeed, a couple?

She sighed, defeated at the moment. She had no idea what to do. If only she could talk to someone. . . .As if they'd just heard her thought, Harry and Ron came through the portrait hole, followed by Neville.

" Hey." She greeted them unenthusiastically.

" Hi Herimone!" Neville responded. There was an awkward silence and he cleared his throat hastily. " Well. . . . I, uh. . . . . . . . .I think I've forgotten something. . . . . up in our room. . . . . .so I'll just be going then. . . ." he scurried from the room, nearly tripping over himself in the process.

Hermione wondered if Harry and Ron could possibly be mad at her, as they hadn't said anything yet.

" You two seem awfully quiet," she observed, " What's wrong?"

" What's wrong is, that once again, you left us looking like complete and total idiots while you ran off to Malfoy!" Ron said darkly as he flopped onto a couch across from where Hermione sat.

" Yeah, it wasn't very pleasant being woken up by Neville and seeing a bunch of people laughing at us." Harry added crossly as he fell into an armchair near the couch.

" Well I can't help it if the two of you decided to stay up all night waiting for me to come back to the common room." Hermione answered hotly.

" You thought it was sweet about an hour ago." Harry reminded her.

" Women and their hormones." Ron said, an air of sarcasm in his voice.

Hermione glared at both of them. " I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to just leave you there, but I simply had to find Pansy Parkinson."

" Pansy Parkinson? What in the world did you need to find _her_ for? Harry asked, disgusted.

" Well, Neville told me that she was spreading rumors around that Malfoy and I were going out." Hermione said with a shrug.

" But the rumors are TRUE, then aren't they??" Ron demanded.

" Well yes, but I don't want people to know just yet!" Hermione said defensively.

" Why the bloody hell NOT?" Ron asked, irritation rising in his voice.

" Because, Ronald, it would change EVERYTHING! Don't you see that?" Hermione screeched.

" Even so, Hermione, you don't honestly think you can hide it forever, do you? I mean, you and Malfoy are going to have to tell everyone eventually." Harry told her.

" Well _he's_ completely ready to do that!" Hermione said, burying her face in her hands. " _I'm_ the one with the problem!"

" You're just going to have to get over that, aren't you?" Ron said, rather unsympathetically. " I mean, what exactly is it that you're so afraid of, anyway?"

" I don't KNOW!" Hermione wailed. " I have no idea! It's all so complicated!"

She was close to tears by now. Harry got up from where he was sitting and walked over to Hermione. He sat on the ledge of her armchair and patted her shoulder comfortingly.

" It's okay. It's going to be fine. You're just a little confused right now." Never before had her or Ron seen her so upset. She was _really_ conflicted over the entire thing. Harry let her lean her head on his shoulder. The three of them sat there for the longest time as Hermione quietly sobbed into Harry's shirt.

" Hermione, I'm really sorry." Ron said softly. " I didn't mean to be so harsh. . . . I'm just tired from last night. . . . . .I really didn't know you were this upset over it. . . . ." He too got up and went over to Hermione. He put his arm around her shoulder and rested his chin on her head, trying to comfort her as best he could.

"I. . . . don't. . . . .know. . . . what . . . I'd . . . . do. . . .without. . . . you. . . .guys." Hermione choked out between sobs.

" Shhhhh, we know. You don't have to talk." Ron said gently.

A few minutes passed by before someone entered the common room. Looking up, Ron saw that it was Ginny.

" Omigosh, what's wrong with her?" Ginny asked, alarmed. She practically ran over to where they were sitting and knelt down in front of Hermione.

" She's just upset right now, Ginny. She's got a lot on her mind." Harry explained.

The redhead peered into Hermione's face. " Upset?" she shrieked, " She's distraught! Clearly, she's heartbroken!"

Harry and Ron exchanged surprised looks over Hermione's head.

" How could you _possibly_ know just by looking at her?" Ron asked incredulously.

Ginny rolled her eyes. " Honestly, Ron, I _am_ a girl! We tend to catch onto these things rather quickly!"

Shooing the boys out of the way, she put her hand on Hermione's arm.

" Hermione," she said soothingly, " I'm going to take you up to your room, okay? And I'll stay with you as long as you want. Now don't you worry about crying. Just let it all out."

Hermione nodded slowly, tears streaking her face. She gave Harry and Ron a weak smile as she allowed Ginny to lead her up to the girls' dormitories.

* * *

Ginny stayed with Hermione and comforted her until the crying had subsided and all that remained were sniffles. 

" Thanks, Ginny. I really appreciate you being here for me. But you go. I'm fine now." Hermione told her.

" You're sure?" Ginny asked.

Hermione nodded. " I've already wasted enough of your Saturday. Go have fun."

" Well, okay. If you're absolutely sure. . . ."

" I'm sure! Now go!" The girls exchanged smiles as Ginny left.

Not a moment later, there was a loud CRACK and Dobby, the house elf, appeared.

" Hello Hermione Granger!" he greeted excitedly.

Hermione sat up in surprise. " Dobby! What are you doing here?"

" Dobby was asked to bring this to you!" the elf squeaked as he handed her an envelope.

" Awwww, you're so sweet. Thanks Dobby!" she said, taking the envelope from his tiny hands.

The elf beamed at her. " Does Herimone Granger need Dobby's assistance for anything else?"

Hermione smiled down at him. " That's okay, Dobby. I'm good. But thanks!" She bent down to give the tiny creature a hug.

The elf beamed at her once more before leaving with another CRACK!

Once Dobby had vanished, Hermione turned her attention to the envelope in her hands. She slowly (and neatly) tore it open and found a small bit of folded parchment. Unfolding it, she read:

_Hermione,_

_I'm sorry if what I said earlier upset you. The truth is, I really do like you. And I'd be willing to tell the entire wizarding world, starting with my father, if necessary. I know it may take you a little longer to feel the same way. The problem is, I don't know how to convince you that you feel that way. Believe me, if I knew how, I would. But since I can't, it looks like I'm going to have to leave that up to you. If you want to talk or something, meet me in front of the Great Hall in fifteen minutes._

_-D_

Hermione stared down at the parchment. Draco didn't seem at all hopeful about their relationship. She didn't want him feeling miserable, especially because of her. She had to go and reassure him. She got up to wipe her face, desperately hoping that she could erase the tell tale signs that she had been crying. Once she felt like she had accomplished this feat, she straightened her corner of the room before dashing out the door.

* * *

Upon arriving at the Great Hall, Hermione saw that Draco was already there, waiting for her. 

" I was afraid you weren't going to come." He said to her, relief in his voice.

" How could I not?" She answered. " You sounded really unhappy in your note. I couldn't bear thinking it was all because of me."

He stepped closer to her. " Hermione, you're what makes me _happy_. I just wish everyone could know that."

She sighed. " I want everyone to know too! But, it's all so complicated."

Malfoy stepped even closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. " What makes it so complicated?" he wanted to know.

" I don't know." She mumbled into his chest. " Maybe I'm just afraid of what people will say. Especially the professors."

" Who cares about what they have to say?" he asked, releasing her from his grip so he could face her. " Isn't the fact that we like each other the only thing that matters?"

" Well, yes, of course." She responded, a bit surprised at the sharpness of his tone. " But. . . . . .Gryffindors and Slytherins don't mingle! It just doesn't happen!"

" Well then it's about time they did, don't you think?" Malfoy asked.

" Absolutely! But it's just so hard to be the first ones! I mean, think about what we'll have to face!" Hermione said.

" What if I told you I didn't care?" he asked.

" What if I told you I did?" she retorted.

Malfoy looked taken aback. He considered her carefully before speaking. " Do you even want to be with me anymore, Granger?"

It was Hermione's turn to be shocked. " Wha--? Of COURSE I do!!!!!!"

" So PROVE IT!" He demanded.

" HOW EXACTLY DO YOU WANT ME TO PROVE IT?" They were shouting now. It was a wonder nobody came running to see what was happening.

" GEE, I WOULDN'T KNOW!! RACK YOUR BRAINS, GRANGER! I'M SURE IT'LL COME TO YOU!"

Hermione stood there, completely shocked, as Draco stormed out of the entranceway, back in the direction of the Slytherin common room.

* * *

Over the next few days, Hermione and Draco didn't see each other much, nor did they speak. He was sending her lavish gifts every day, she suspected, just so she would know that she was still his. She tried getting his attention several times, but he would never meet her gaze. It was clear to Hermione that he was avoiding her. 

" I don't know what to do!" she confided to Harry and Ron as she paced in the common room that night. " He won't look at me, he won't talk to me. . . . ."

" Bloody hell, Hermione, you've got to calm down!" Ron said, grabbing her hand and leading her over to an armchair.

" I mean, how am I supposed to prove to him that I want to be with him?" she wailed, her voice panicked.

" Didn't he tell you he wants you to openly admit it?" Harry asked, rather absentmindedly.

" Yes, Harry, we've been OVER this!" Hermione said impatiently. " The problem is, I'm not quite sure how to do that!"

" Couldn't you just, I dunno, make an announcement tomorrow at the Quidditch game? You know, ask McGonagall if you can borrow the megaphone?" Ron suggested, unable to keep the boredom out of his voice.

" Oh yes, Ronald, what an excellent idea! Making that kind of announcement over a megaphone while he's 300 feet in the air!"

" I'm only trying to help! It's not like it'll be my fault if the idiot falls off his broom!"

Hermione gasped when he said this and Harry quickly moved in between them to keep the peace.

" I think it would be good if we all just calmed down." He said to the two of them.

When Ron and Hermione relaxed a little, Harry said, " Now, although Ron's idea was a little. . . out there. . . it doesn't mean we can't come up with something else. I don't think you'll need to do something quite that extreme."

The three sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking to themselves.

" Should I wear Slytherin colors to the game?" Hermione asked.

" NO!" Harry and Ron said together.

" You're supporting one person, not the entire house." Harry reminded her.

Again, there was silence as each of them tried to come up with a different solution.

" Oh, this is hopeless!" Hermione cried, her voice full of despair.

" Don't worry, Hermione, we'll come up with something. We always do." Ron assured her.

And sure enough, ten minutes later, they did.

* * *

Hermione woke up the next morning, feeling refreshed and light-hearted. She was finally ready to openly admit that she liked Draco Malfoy. She so badly wanted to wish him luck before the match; it _was_ the championship game after all. But she knew that he wouldn't pay any attention to her if she tried. He wanted her to prove that she wanted him; and that was exactly what she intended to do. 

All during breakfast, Hermione was nervous and jittery. Her entire plan rested on Slytherin winning the championship.

" Do you really think Slytherin can beat Hufflepuff?" she asked Harry and Ron for the hundredth time.

" YES, Hermione!" Ron answered impatiently as he stuffed a pancake into his mouth.

" It'll be a really intense game, but Slytherin should pull it out." Harry reassured.

They could only hope.

* * *

After breakfast, the trio walked down to the Quidditch pitch together. They joined the mob of Gryffindors in the stands and waited anxiously for the game to start. Hermione resisted the urge to cheer Malfoy on as the Slytherin team flew out onto the pitch. Madam Hooch, the referee, stepped onto the field to start the game. Hufflepuff managed to get first possession of the Quaffle, which terrified Hermione. 

" It's only the first possession, Hermione. Try to control your nerves!" Ron told her.

" He has to be in a celebratory mood! There's no way I can pull this off if Slytherin loses!" she screeched.

" It'll be FINE!" Harry hissed.

The game went back and forth nearly the whole way through. Hufflepuff would score, and so would Slytherin. Hufflepuff would score again, and Slytherin would follow suit. It didn't help that Hermione's nerves were getting the better of her. Harry and Ron spent the entire game trying to calm her down.

Finally, Slytherin managed to gain some distance from Hufflepuff. The score was in their favor when Malfoy finally tracked down the snitch. As the team huddled in celebration and the crowd looked on, Hermione managed to slip away without being noticed.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she made her way to the Slytherin common room. Any minute now, the entire house would be coming down the corridor she was standing in. Any minute now, Draco Malfoy would be walking in her direction and she would finally prove to him that she wanted to be with him.

Hermione jumped as loud shouts and cheers erupted from down the corridor. They were coming. Suddenly, a parade of Slytherins flooded down the corridor, Malfoy in the lead. He had the trophy in his hands and everyone around him was congratulating him. " Hey, why is that Gryffindor Mudblood standing in our corridor?" someone shouted. All eyes turned to look at Hermione, and she knew that this was the moment.

Malfoy's jaw dropped as she ran towards him. He tossed the Quidditch trophy to the ground as she jumped into his arms. Throwing her arms around his neck and draping her legs around his waist, she straddled him in front of the entire Slytherin population.

" Wh-what are you doing?" he stammered.

" Proving that I want to be with you!" she responded happily.

And then she kissed him. It was a kiss ignited by a burning hunger and desire that filled them both. Gasps rippled through the crowd as the two snogged in the middle of the corridor. Time seemed to stand still and they were in a world all their own, even though all eyes in the hallway were locked on them. As their tongues intertwined and as her body melted into his, Hermione realized then that she could care less about what anyone thought. She was the happiest she had ever been. And _that_ was all that mattered.

**And that, my dears, is the end of the story! How was it?? I'm simply DYING to know what everyone thought!!! So. . . . how bout it?? Reviews? For old time's sake?? Pretty please???**


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